


Where you least expect...

by silentflux



Series: A Day in the Life [5]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Community: 60damnprompts, Community: gilesxander, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-10-11
Updated: 2008-10-11
Packaged: 2017-10-16 01:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/166983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentflux/pseuds/silentflux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The caregiver and the watcher...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where you least expect...

_**FIC: Where you least expect...**_  
 **Title:** Where you least expect...  
 **Author:** Andrea/[](http://silentflux.livejournal.com/profile)[ **silentflux**](http://silentflux.livejournal.com/)  
 **Fandom:** Buffy the Vampire Slayer  
 **Pairing/character:** Giles, Xander - preslash  
 **Rating:** FRT  
 **Prompt:** Day 6 - "Birth" and loosely on the day's quote "Xander knows what he's doing" - role reversal"  
 **Notes/Warnings:** for October 11th at the[](http://community.livejournal.com/gilesxander/profile)[ **gilesxander**](http://community.livejournal.com/gilesxander/) Octoberfest and [my Giles challenge](http://silentflux.livejournal.com/tag/challenge:+60damnprompts) at [](http://community.livejournal.com/60damnprompts/profile)[**60damnprompts**](http://community.livejournal.com/60damnprompts/) where you write 60 days in the life of a character. You may want to read the previous days before this fic for a better understanding, but it's not necessary.

Set post Chosen, so there are spoilers for it. Also, warnings for the "awww" factor ;) Hopefully not too much, but may just a little.

 **Summary:** The caregiver and the watcher...

~ * ~

"Giles!" Xander exclaimed, bursting through the Watcher's doorway, arm wrapped protectively around his middle. Which was bulging. And moving. "I need help."

Panicked for a moment, he stood, chair crashing back and hurried to the other man's side. "What's wrong?"

"I.. well," Xander looked a little alarmed at his friend's reaction and blushed when he realized what he'd probably thought. "I'm not hurt. It's just - look!"

Pulling open his button-down shirt, the younger man revealed and small nest of what looked to be newborn kittens curled against his body. "Xander. Are those kittens?"

"Umm... well, see - I was out doing some shopping when I heard a noise in the alley. And I thought - hey, daylight, so not a vamp, and I walked down and found their mother giving birth. She seemed to be hurting, or I guess, more than usual. And I stuck around. Boy was she a handful - protective and hissing and scratching at me. But she didn't make it. And I couldn't just leave them there in the cold!" Giles looked up, hearing the soft distress in his tone. "So I need help. I need kitten formula and a place to make a little warm nest, and washclothes since they still need a little spitbath or something."

"Xander -"

"I know there's not supposed to be any pets, but -"

"All right."

" - they're so cute and I want to help them. And maybe the slayers will like them. Hey, maybe it'll cure JJ of her need to adopt random baby demons! And - wait, what?"

"I said 'all right'."

"You did? Cause... you did! Yes! Now will you help me?" A brown eye blinked up at Giles from beneath messy bangs and he smiled.

"Of course. But do you even know how to care for kittens? Especially newborns?"

"Yeah. Can't be that much different than the newborn animals I helped with in Africa." Giles stared at him for a moment, blinking in surprise. "What? You didn't think the only thing I did there was find slayers, did you?"

Giles just shook his head and led the way to his suite, pulling out an old wicker basket and finding some unused towels to make a nest. He smiled at Xander's sigh of relief when the four kittens were unloaded into that nest.

"Ok. Warm water?"

He nodded and quickly went to fetch it for him. That was how the rest of the evening went. Xander requesting items and him providing them, observing how completely engrossed the younger man was in his task, brows furrowed as he bathed the kittens gently with a moistened washcloth and fed them with an ingeniously devised nipple and some formula that he'd asked one of the slayers to run out and buy.

Before long, Giles' suite became kitten central. Both men settled on the couch, one reading and one watching the television on low volume, a large hand resting inside the nest with the kittens curled around its warmth. The Head Watcher of the new Council couldn't think of a time he'd felt more peaceful.  



End file.
